"I'm finished," they thought. "It's all over now." The moment Neville called out, the five students knew they were doomed. They wilted on the spot, like flowers hit by an icy frost.
"Teasing classmates... bullying classmates... attacking classmates... how dare you?! How dare you!" Professor McGonagall's face was flushed with fury. She felt her blood pressure rising with every word that came out of Neville's mouth. She couldn't believe these were her students.
"Now, you five are coming with me to see Headmaster Dumbledore. I'll tell him what you've done, and he will decide what punishment you deserve," she said, her voice strained. She swayed slightly, as if a strong gust of wind might blow her over. In that moment, Professor McGonagall felt exhausted, utterly drained. She was a good professor, a dedicated one, and unlike Snape's clear bias for Slytherin, she was known for her fairness and justice. But she had only so much energy. She couldn't watch every single student, every single moment. Even Dumbledore couldn't do that.
"As for you... Mr. Dursley, I believe you should come to the Headmaster's office as well." McGonagall's gaze swept over Dudley, Harry, Hermione, and Neville, finally settling on Dudley. After all, he was the one who was at the center of the confrontation. She wasn't blind; the large lumps on the other boys' heads were clearly not caused by a spell.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Dudley replied, and his compliance was so complete that Snape narrowed his eyes, studying the back of his head. Despite the matter with the Slytherin being hushed up, Snape had heard the rumors.
"Severus, I believe you should join us. The boy is, after all, a Slytherin," McGonagall said. Snape nodded his assent, but his expression didn't show the turmoil he felt. He looked at Dudley's broad back, and a complex emotion, a mixture of memory, regret, and envy, flickered in his eyes. What was happening now was so familiar, but the roles were reversed. Dudley had protected that girl. Could I have done the same? he wondered.
Dumbledore was a little taken aback when they all barged into his office. He was trying to figure out the skeleton band for the Halloween feast. Despite being the greatest wizard of the century, he wasn't omniscient. He couldn't predict the future or peer into a crystal ball to watch every student's every move. He was just a very clever Gryffindor.
Professor McGonagall recounted the whole story in detail. As Dumbledore listened, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked at the five students huddled against the wall, trembling.
"Mr. Dursley, what are your thoughts on this matter?" Dumbledore asked, his sapphire-blue eyes meeting Dudley's equally blue ones.
Dudley stared back calmly. "I don't think Hermione is the first person this has happened to, and if this isn't dealt with properly, she won't be the last. Once you allow bullying to start, it's impossible to stop. This kind of thing cannot be tolerated. It must be severely punished. I think they should all be expelled."
Dudley's voice was quiet but firm. It wasn't a suggestion so much as a declaration. McGonagall opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Snape's face hardened, not because he disagreed with the punishment, but because Dudley's words reminded him of his own past with James Potter. Nothing had changed.
"Don't you think... this is a very harsh punishment for what might have been just a small mistake?" Dumbledore said, his eyes fixed on Dudley, trying to read him like an open book.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Dudley's voice suddenly boomed, echoing through the room. Dumbledore flinched.
"Do not let a small evil go unpunished," Dudley continued. "You might think this is a minor issue, but it's only the beginning. If you let it slide, you'll set a precedent, and it will never end. This must be stopped right now, or everyone will think they can get away with it. Today they might bully Hermione. Tomorrow, it could be Longbottom. The day after, a Weasley. And then the day after that, Harry Potter himself."
Dudley's words were powerful and thought-provoking. He wasn't exaggerating. Given their personalities, they had probably already been bullying Neville, and they likely would have gone after Ron, too, if he didn't have Harry and his older brothers to look out for him. Ron was an easy target because he was poor. Because he was poor, he had no friends outside of his family.
Poverty, Dudley knew, was a kind of original sin.
"First, they hid her shoes. Then, it was her books. Next, they were purposefully tripping her in class. What do you think they would have done next? Ruin Hermione's clothes!"
Dudley's calm demeanor vanished. His voice grew loud, and behind him, a furious fire seemed to burn, taking the shape of a massive bear roaring into the air. This wasn't a joke, not a bit of friendly banter. This was pure malice, and malice was malice. What would have come next? Taking naked pictures of her? Physically assaulting her? People who bully aren't always ignorant, and some children are far more advanced, in every way, than you might think.
"We didn't mean to do that!" one of the five students cried out, still trying to get out of trouble.
"Oh?" Dudley's eyes left Dumbledore and fell on the boy who spoke. It was Hansel, the one who tried to curse him. The boy's whole body began to tremble. In his eyes, Dudley's blue gaze was no longer a pair of eyes, but a raging dragon ready to tear them apart. It was a terror that even Malfoy had never experienced. He didn't doubt for a second that if he spoke another word, Dudley would rip him to shreds.
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It's worth noting that Snape, the supposed greasy old bat and greasy old coward, has many names: Snape, Snivellus, Freak, Greasy old bat, Evil Death Eater, Coward.